Tribe
The competing teams in Survivor are known as tribes. Commonly, there are two tribes in a season, but there have been instances where three or four may be active at the same time. A tribe can have anywhere from four to ten contestants at the beginning of the game. Dividing Into Tribes Most commonly, the tribes are divided by the producers before the game begins. However, there have been exceptions. Tribes Preset by Production * had one tribe with six men and three women, and another with five men and four women. Due to the lack of female applicants, this set-up was the closest to having equal amounts of men and women. Furthermore, the replacement of some players during the first few sessions complicated the set-up. Tribes Divided by Theme * In , the 20 new contestants were divided into two tribes of ten based on their degree of success in Survivor: (David and Goliath). However, unlike the real-life American version of David vs. Goliath, the equal amount of men and women per tribe was not taken into account. Starting Tribes Each Survivor season starts with 16 to 20 contestants (dubbed as the "castaways") stranded in a remote location and will be left there for the next 39 days. The castaways will be then equally divided into teams ("tribes"). These tribes then will be sent out to separate camps identified by a colored tribe banner. The islands for each tribe are usually similar in topography, with a plethora of hiding spots for Hidden Immunity Idols and other secret advantages. Names and Identification Starting tribes are given unique names (usually based on local language, culture, or history) and identifying colors which are used on tribe flags, challenge props, on-screen text, and various other items. Each player is given a buff, an elastic ring of cloth generally adorned with the logo for the current season, that is usually worn around the neck. Wearing a buff is not mandatory, but most maps usually have a spot on their tribes' island that castaways can touch in order to automatically wear their buff. Tribe Switch : See also: Tribe Switch. tribe, moments after randomly selecting their new buff from a platter and revealing them.]] The tribe switch is the very first Survivor twist. GL6W asks the contestants to drop their buffs, signaling there will be a change in the nature and personal makeup of the tribes. In a tribe switch, the contestants will either end up at their original tribe or they will be swapped into another. They must give up their old buff and must don a new one. If there is a switch, it occurs before the merge, commonly catching players off-guard. The logic of the switch is that the relationships from their first tribe will be tested in their new tribe, and will create additional possibilities when the tribes finally merge. Oftentimes, players who were not successful in their original tribe use the switch as an opportunity to create new bonds, and potentially last longer in the competition. Auxiliary Tribe , the first (and currently only) auxiliary tribe, appearing at the first challenge post-Tribe Switch.]] An auxiliary tribe is a third tribe introduced early in or midway through the pre-merge phase of the game through a Tribe Switch. The castaways of these tribes are usually relocated to a new beach where they must again set camp from scratch. Merged Tribe : See also: Merge. tribe ( ), newly merged and feasting.]] The merged tribe is composed of the last members of the remaining tribes. Whereas the starting tribes are named by the producers, the new tribe will be occasionally named by the castaways themselves. They will be given a new, blank tribe flag and buffs with some paint to decorate the new flag. Usually, a feast is held at the new tribe's camp to celebrate the event. The merged tribe camp is traditionally the better of the two former tribe camps, but sometimes they will be relocated to a new beach. Reward Challenges may still be team-based (depending on the number of remaining players), but Immunity Challenges will be conducted on a strictly individual basis. Tribe Colors Per Season Trivia * As of the third unnamed season, a blue tribe has been present in every season of Glow's Survivor. References